19:49 PM.
The smell came first.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZomDduXBm
Before sight. Before awareness. Before Voltase even realized he had fallen asleep.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpbBUBMdwZi
A pungent, fishy stench a mixture of old blood, rotting flesh, and soil soaked with bodily fluids. seeped into his nostrils like toxic smoke.
It clung to the roof of his mouth. Settled at the back of his throat. Made his stomach churn despite being empty.
Here again.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0R9e31sATm
The thought surfaced through the fog of his half-asleep consciousness.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUhtOaymGn
I'm back.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHxae4PMz1
To the same place.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7MqVno2x7
same dream.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlKmne604G
But something was different this time. Something he couldn't immediately identify. Perhaps because this was the third time. Perhaps because his mind. although still constrained by the thick fog shrouding his memories was beginning to grow accustomed to this cycle.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93lBU9xM19
Accustomed to death, resurrection.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgijKJFp9os
the same hell, over and over.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKrNMWttiA
Voltase opened his eyes.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHnYe3caen
And as usual, what he saw was a corpse's face above him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssKAnuG0SM
That face a man with grayish skin, eyes wide open with pupils frozen in eternal terror, and a gaping mouth as if trying to scream but never getting the chance, no longer surprised him.
He had seen it twice before. The same face. The same expression. Even the corpse's position atop his body was identical.
even if the maggots are still wriggling and roaming on the surface of the remains, it is said that the meat is.
With a rough shove no longer trembling like the first time, no longer panicking like the second Voltase pushed the corpse away.
The stiff body rolled sideways with a wet plop, just as before, and Voltase found himself lying among countless piles of flesh and bone.
The same hell.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83hesbChC4
The same battlefield.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqpssbhxCi
The same dark, starless night sky. The same mud-soaked earth, saturated with blood. The same smell. same wind whispering through the corpses, like the murmurs of the dead he couldn't quite hear.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJo9rGTa8DC
Voltase sat up slowly. The body he inhabited a tall, sturdy man's body, with strong hands and a scar on his left arm moved with strange obedience. As if this body knew itself better than he knew it.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHkZSyBagN
He stared at his hands. Not the small, delicate hands of a child with rounded fingers, but large hands with calloused knuckles and prominent veins on the back.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxE7M6RFCR
This isn't my body.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsArVfgepbV
But it feels like mine.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorXw8SVy4P
At least, for now.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCfqOUkfu8N
He moved his fingers one by one, making sure everything still worked. The memory of his first death the bullet in his chest, the blood flowing out, the darkness slowly swallowing him was still fresh.
So was the second the strong hands strangling his neck, the air slowly fading, and the despair of realizing that this time, he wouldn't survive.
But tonight was different.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpf6XrFQV4
Tonight, Voltase had no intention of dying.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItECPWAuMT
Not again.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawAArzKXod
He had died twice.
Twice was enough.
Twice was more than enough to make him understand that if he remained passive, if he kept letting this dream run its course, he would die over and over.
Perhaps forever.
And that more than anything was the most terrifying thing.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOYOzvBrHM
Not the pain, the blood, even the corpses around him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSCklrz5kc
But the thought that he might be trapped here forever. That every night, he would return to this place, and every night, he would die in a different way. That there was no end, no escape, no hope.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DSyeyKz3e
No.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTmXRhsk2Y
I won't let that happen.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ze6YZNn5d
I will survive.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqg6q9vUtVa
I'll do whatever it takes to survive.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPgz0EFYdh
With newfound resolve resolve that felt foreign in his chest, like a small flame flickering in the darkness Voltase rose to his feet.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5ruAPtTvA
His legs the long, powerful legs of a grown man carried him through the piles of corpses. Each step produced a soft crunch of broken bones beneath his boots.
Each step brought him closer to the goal he had just set.
The blond man.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTKVWxgNGX
The one who survived the last battle.
who died in front of me in the twiced dream.
Voltase didn't know why he was so certain that man was still alive. because in the two previous dreams, that man always survived until the final moments.
there was something about him something important, he couldn't let die.
Or perhaps because, deep in his heart, Voltase knew that the only way to survive was not to be alone.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKt5r1QphSA
He walked past countless piles of corpses. Some were still intact, their faces frozen in their final expressions.
Others were half rotted, with peeling skin and bones protruding through decayed flesh. Some bodies were completely destroyed burned, or shot multiple times, or crushed by something Voltase couldn't even imagine.
He tried not to look too closely.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNbdFd1msz
tried not to think about who they had been before.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8SftUHeDMo
They were just corpses. Just flesh and bone. Nothing more.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTlU1gi2kJQ
Don't think about their families, the dreams. how they died.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2B30tZPVFS
Focus on the goal.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkMcqcUB0Q
Find that man.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsn4AcYANCA
Save him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5opOjz8fnR
And save yourself.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwD4bRKPfjl
In the distance, he saw a pile of corpses higher than the rest. Like a small hill made of flesh and bone. And behind that hill, he saw faint movement something moving, something still alive.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPRXqahBi1W
He's there.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGe8zFjeBT
Voltase quickened his pace, almost running through the scattered bodies. His boots stepped on a severed arm, and he heard the crisp crack of bone beneath his feet. He didn't stop. Couldn't stop.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mVCRAFd8b
Must get there.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5HnSdnlZWN
Must save him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4rKVLrTA2
This time, I won't let him die.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mvQzZngDg
When he finally reached that pile of corpses, he saw him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpVAYAe0NqO
The man was still alive.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdBZwmCaP5
Voltase stopped, his breath quickening not from exhaustion, but from sudden relief.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47KfnAguJk
The man lay among the corpses, his body almost entirely buried under a mound of dead flesh. Only his head was visible—a pale face with tangled blond hair, filthy with blood and mud. His eyes were closed, but his chest still rose and fell with weak yet steady breaths.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfgt2SW8wT
He's alive.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBd9xoaJzgP
He survived.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUklI25P5A
Voltase knelt beside the man. His hands the large hands that no longer felt foreign grabbed the man's shoulders and shook him gently.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzc9Sp9Cxn
"Hey."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCuFhqfzgM0
No response.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCygMjvtpdR
"Hey, wake up."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59K92Do2A4
He shook harder. The man's face creased slightly, like someone sleeping who didn't want to be disturbed.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKF06cKhsq
"Wake up, idiot. We don't have much time."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgbKqzLCxDJ
Finally, the man's eyes opened.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIy7wEtUoh8
Dark onyx eyes like two black gems reflecting the dim light of the night sky. stared at Voltase with a mixture of confusion and wariness.
For a few seconds, the man just stared without moving, like a wild animal just waking up and not yet deciding whether to fight or flee.
And then, his mouth opened to scream.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkM46gGzC2K
Voltase moved faster than his thoughts.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEtFCAUfZ5t
His palm covered the man's mouth before any sound could escape. He leaned close, only a few centimeters away and stared into those onyx eyes with an intensity he never possessed in the real world.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxhFE1xoeVB
"Listen to me."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnayMJePYs
His voice was low, firm, and urgent.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofoUttSsFu
The man stopped moving. His eyes remained wary, but there was something in them perhaps curiosity, perhaps hope that kept him silent.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5vmm1htvQ
"Cooperate with me if you want to live,"
Voltase continued, the words flowing smoothly like water in a stream. As if this was something he had rehearsed, something he had thought about.
He had planned since the first time he woke up in this hell.
"Because two are better than one."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAB05tXl6nL
He stared into those onyx eyes, searching for signs of understanding. Signs of agreement. Signs that this man whom he didn't know, who should be his enemy was willing to listen.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIhEyqdUcEr
Silence hung between them.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwAYCtpo2t
Voltase could feel the man's breath against his palm warm, uneven, filled with restrained fear.
He could feel the tension in the man's jaw beneath his touch. He could see the sweat on the man's forehead, mixed with blood and grime.
And then, slowly, the man nodded.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzonIqpLM5
One small nod. Barely visible. But enough.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLFFVYbBJ1
Voltase exhaled in relief. He released his hand from the man's mouth but kept close.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXGeeMKIVe
"Good."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5efGgMpLjw
He straightened up, his eyes quickly scanning the logo on the man's uniform. Faded olive green the same as the corpses around them.
The same as the soldiers who came to check the dead in the two previous dreams.
He's from the same side as those who came to kill.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCAaFChylN
He's the enemy.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AjBxo1qEr
Or at least, he should be.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BvdHeJ2t1
Voltase pushed the thought aside. It didn't matter now. What mattered was survival. What mattered was getting out of here. What mattered was not dying again.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcaHTqMc3JZ
"Who are you?"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1xfFoONfNw
The man's voice finally came out hoarse, weak, but still laced with wariness.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHpghiT3Yk
Voltase looked at him. Those onyx eyes still stared back with uncomfortable intensity, as if trying to guess his intentions, his motives, the truth behind his words.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhls6rDk3i
"Someone trying to survive," Voltase answered shortly. "Same as you."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NqARVZG8t
The man frowned. Doubt flickered in his eyes. Distrust. But there was also something else something akin to curiosity.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDh8Zg5NQOH
"You don't look like you're from our side."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4AMy9kTJo
"I'm not from their side either."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrq3JeM3lqZ
Voltase pointed to the corpses around them.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYdNClHWUe
"I'm just... someone trapped here."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmK3XrX8YqR
The man fell silent. His eyes continued to scrutinize Voltase, searching for lies, for deception. But Voltase wasn't lying. Not entirely.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFonYUthkW
Because he was indeed trapped. Trapped in this dream, in this body, between endless death and resurrection.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCbPxuw4qQ
And all he wanted was to escape.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoTNIzIlEt
"We don't have much time," said Voltase, steering the man's attention away from unanswerable questions.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXuGIQi6F5
"They're coming. Three men. With bayonets on their rifles. check these bodies, and if they find us alive..."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMHk8I6vTM
He didn't need to finish. The man already understood.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcneihvR0J
"How do you know?"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sg4jGgqWE
"I've seen it happen."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVcDBIoSzm
Twice. But Voltase didn't say that.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpHULh9Rg2
"Trust me, or die here. The choice is yours."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GmW0xl3vH
The man stared at him for a long time. Too long. Voltase was almost losing patience.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0coAfjoFn
But finally, the man nodded again.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVyM9wPqhV
"What do I need to do?"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzDrBNw7id
Voltase explained his plan quickly.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiQpyeMW8x
He retrieved two rifles from among the corpses—long rifles with bayonets attached, just like the ones the inspecting soldiers carried. tossed one to the man, who caught it with practiced ease that showed he was no amateur soldier.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYYSbPOAo7
"Have you used one of these before?" asked Voltase.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnThf25jAc
The man nodded. His hands long fingered hands with calloused knuckles held the rifle comfortably, like an extension of his own body.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Sk4KWvS7e
"I've been fighting for years."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡciIFnMFKb7
"Good. Because we'll need every skill we have."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiaUEDiizLH
Voltase fixed the bayonet onto his rifle quickly. The blade long, sharp, with grooves along its sides to channel blood gleamed under the dim light of the night sky.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOU2lt2Aq1
"They'll come in three minutes," he said, recalling the timing from the two previous dreams.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5v57wxWxt
"We'll play dead. Hide among the corpses. And when they're close enough..."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLwZSxWot9
He pressed the tip of the bayonet with his thumb, feeling its sharpness.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡobVHxnAQTy
"We strike."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGv6ZONHxa
The man stared at him with wide eyes.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAtEWXkVVY
"This is insane," he said. "You know that, right?"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCP3RwoVH1
"Maybe."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxnVzwKF4J3
Voltase lay down on the ground, pulling two corpses over his body. The cold, stiff flesh pressed down on him with suffocating weight, and the stench nearly made him vomit.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgapwCz8ai1
"But it's the only way to survive."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOgWx4WHms
He closed his eyes.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFX0Ff1e5UL
"Play dead. And when I move, follow."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDzoT6rhSGP
The man was silent. Then, Voltase heard movement beside him the man lying down, pulling corpses over himself.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcmotonP5u4
"I don't know who you are," said the man, his voice muffled by the dead flesh.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFKtBm84n1
"But I hope you're right."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIyN2sjRmXz
"Me too."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuRZDDhtuB
And then, they waited.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMG8RYLBQuM
Silence returned to the battlefield. Only the wind whispering through the corpses, and the pounding of Voltase's heart in his chest.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUWWuHTmvM
One.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qhF7e8L3S
Two.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPw2udaUj0
Three.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnY5r0aTRui
He counted the seconds in his head, trying to measure time. In the two previous dreams, the soldiers always came about three minutes after he woke up.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFc40nNzSGz
His breath caught. He could feel the weight of the corpses above him not just the ones on the surface, but the burden of all the deaths he had witnessed.
The burden of fear still settled in his chest. burden of hope beginning to grow, even though he knew it could destroy him.
And then, he heard it.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7oVpiy4C3X
Footsteps.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD5uzgfP5pL
Far in the distance, but growing closer.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2c0JHv953
The sound of boots stepping on muddy ground, followed by the crunch of broken bones beneath them.
And among those steps, other sounds voices speaking in a language he didn't understand, but with familiar tones.
They were coming.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELJn3bmGWb
Voltase held his breath. His body the strong, adult body locked in invisible tension. Every muscle ready. Every sense alert.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGGyq4mamK
The footsteps drew closer.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IAVtACXFG
He could hear them talking now. Words in a foreign language perhaps German, perhaps Russian, he couldn't be certain. But some words felt familiar. Words like "check," "clean," and "dead."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5QllsFok5b
They were checking the corpses. Making sure no one was still alive.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakyslxeUiw
Just like before.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTOnKVTCK42
Just like the two previous times.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rRZYxlsxk
The first thrust came seconds later.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGiukD9Gvcj
Thunk.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzb0ZV49FpU
The sound of metal piercing flesh dull, wet, horrible. Voltase felt the vibration in the ground beside him, felt how the corpse nearby shuddered from the bayonet's thrust.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVb4h0THx8O
Thunk.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMT7uuBWN8
The second thrust. Closer this time. Voltase could hear the blade piercing bone, and he imagined how it would feel the dull pain, the sensation of cold metal tearing through flesh, and then darkness.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqexC063cUc
Soon.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPvziOXTfx
The next thrust will come toward me.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5hfK2LE8y
He gripped his rifle tighter. His hands the large hands with calloused fingers didn't shake. Unlike his hands in the real world, which always trembled from nervousness or awkwardness.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpWO0RX4wD
This isn't my body.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggiq23ZKsb
But I know how to use it.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTpwZpFwXVr
Or at least, this body knows.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSk94hS3PA
Footsteps stopped right beside him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbY5ioQumpQ
Voltase could feel someone standing nearby could feel the weight of that body, could hear their heavy breathing, could smell the sweat and cigarette smoke clinging to their uniform.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzKhgppjzI
Now.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVFO4QbhfJ
Time to move.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngZJounrle
The bayonet thrust came from above, piercing the corpse on the surface.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfXS6aGEBq
Thunk.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAckCPRFyrb
The flesh tore open above him, and Voltase felt the cold metal tip stop just above his chest only centimeters from his skin.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fiJVfJTu3
No.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYr9CWqMzfO
Not this time.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡksI4P1XLVB
I won't die again.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJ4skwwjtN
Before the bayonet could touch his body, Voltase opened his eyes.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJt5TR6AY5x
The world moved in an instant.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmidXk8VfJ
Voltase pushed the corpses off him with strength he didn't know he possessed. The dead flesh flew aside like rag dolls, and in less than a second, he was in an attacking position.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5OgJIq74G
The soldier above him a man with short black hair and dark eyes full of surprise had no time to react. His mouth opened to scream, but before any sound came out, the bayonet on Voltase's rifle had pierced his throat.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTbFnGzjcl
Crack.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8Pe1FuC3b
The sound of crushed cartilage. The sound of tearing flesh. The sound of blood spraying out like a fountain.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwdOI9tgWn
Voltase felt warm droplets on his face fresh blood, thick and sticky, with a sharp metallic smell.
He felt how the bayonet sliced through flesh, how the bones in the man's neck shattered under the pressure, how the body stiffened in the spasm of death.
And then, the man fell.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqvUcWbPeT
Without a sound. Without a scream. Just the wet plop of his body hitting the ground.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtoFzWGJWck
Voltase stood over the corpse, breathing hard, his heart pounding fiercely in his chest.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpKbt7Yhimw
He killed someone.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurvWpYaoli
He had just killed someone.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡySMHkpaWyV
For the first time in his life, he had taken another person's life.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0Bwte8Gzg
But the feeling that came wasn't guilt. Not regret. Not even disgust.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2UH9aSru9
What came was a coldness in his chest.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzopVUAsDA0
Emptiness.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAcjvtadHY
As if a part of him had died along with that man. if he had crossed a line from which there was no return, and now, there was no going back.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8KrZ6412e
This isn't me.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PaSXA7wTP
It's this body.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNz6YuvccrP
It's a dream.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRTT6UvcE1
Not real.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpsfuJmK7j
Not real.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZxjexP5BX
Not—
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDlicj38Y4
"Gunshot!"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lWkaLgPTw
A shout from the side shattered his thoughts.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6YqayoEG5
Voltase turned quickly and saw a familiar sight the blond man standing among the corpses, his rifle raised toward the second soldier who had just realized what was happening.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxi4GogTl6W
Bang!
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QTzDaoBKt
The gunshot echoed across the silent battlefield.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjNlPTf9jU
The man a soldier with brown hair and blue eyes fell backward with a gaping hole in his head. Blood and small pieces of brain sprayed into the air before his body hit the ground with a dull thud.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSqqIMCgDG
One left.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhWyB6eMrsR
Voltase saw the third soldier a young man, probably no older than twenty standing among the corpses with an expression of frozen terror on his face.
His hands held a rifle, but he didn't move. Didn't shoot. Just stared at Voltase with eyes full of disbelief.
And then, Voltase raised his rifle.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XxA4rypdi
Trigger pull.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ58dFlSE7B8
Bang!
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClCksbRvTh
The bullet flew from the barrel, cut through the cold night air, and entered the young man's chest.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLZwnLF3NS
The man's body staggered backward, his right hand still gripping the rifle flung to the side. His blue eyes light blue, like a summer sky widened in shock, as if he couldn't believe this was happening to him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMRiLMXYXh
He fell.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOL4JgxGa0L
Slowly.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcBk7K4TAn
Like a felled tree.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLtknOOI6i7
And when his body hit the ground, Voltase heard another gunshot from the side the blond man had shot the young man in the back of the head.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALp5NVVw4g
Bang!
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZx7XPd05Zp
The young man's head jerked forward, and then, everything stopped.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgB1bZGT0fi
Silence returned to the battlefield.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAf2jxyxsU
Three bodies lay on the ground. Three lives taken. Three deaths in a matter of seconds.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69ddbVt538
And Voltase a twelve year old boy who had never hurt anyone in his life stood among them with fresh blood on his face and a bloody bayonet in his hand.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFOXgh88i1
Voltase collapsed.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1HXcw2jZ3Z
His knees hit the ground hard, but he didn't feel the pain. All he felt was overwhelming exhaustion exhaustion that seeped into every bone, every muscle, every fiber of his being.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCdm654TOi
The rifle in his hand fell with a clatter on the ground. His hands his large, strong hands began to shake. A tremor he couldn't control.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUIEwJLR3s
He killed someone.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPlsnqqWCq
Two people.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXHGO3uE8L
Two lives.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLPULDkznD
Two human beings with families, dreams, hopes.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfykrunW0RU
And he killed them.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLkBnZ0XRc
The feeling the feeling that should have come earlier finally arrived.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYEfOSywVN
Not guilt.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDkZd0X9Y7
Not regret.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0p1RCtUTp
But a deep nausea, rising from his stomach to his throat, making him want to vomit but couldn't because his stomach was empty.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsz7fJohCLO
He looked down, seeing his hands his blood-soaked hands. Fresh blood, still warm, still flowing between his fingers.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB7PQrcgHUg
This is human blood.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHr4dJi99i
Blood I just spilled.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZiHRcneu9
Blood can never take back.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlxVN0vKfD
He closed his eyes, but the image didn't go away. The young man's face with blue eyes his expression of shock, his open mouth, his body falling slowly to the ground all etched behind his eyelids.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50cs28vHqC
He was young.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtY3YDaRDK
Maybe the same age as the blond man.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOvUiEJvy0
Maybe he just joined this war.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGj4Jogb3g6
Maybe he didn't want to be here any more than I did.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwvC3u6Yxn
But he killed him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCUExDg26Ng
Without hesitation, doubt and giving him a chance.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBx08NGRMn
Why did I do it?
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSx8CjI2bA0
Why didn't I shoot to wound?
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY9WLvSBhPN
Why did I kill him outright?
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhk20zotcq7
The answer came quickly and coldly.
Because if I hadn't, he would have killed me.
That was the logic of the battlefield and survival. logic that knew no mercy, no morality, nothing except one rule: Kill or be killed.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhaNJVrTZps
And Voltase, for the first time, understood.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQ5h0n2CPM
Understood why the soldiers in the previous dreams had been so cruel.
Why they checked the corpses with bayonets.
Why they gave no quarter.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybMceRzbZ5
Because here, in this hell, there was no room for mercy.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWfzmGxYyb
Only death, and those who managed to avoid it.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPREmiSCp92
Footsteps beside him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLVNOU5FNx
Voltase looked up and saw the blond man standing nearby. His face was pale, his eyes dark, and in his hand, he held a pistol a small pistol he'd taken from one of the corpses.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuV1wpHs242
He stared at Voltase with an unreadable expression a mixture of admiration, fear, and perhaps, respect.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrevWocZ734
"Are you okay?" he asked.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfRBA9qfQl
Voltase wanted to say no. Wanted to scream that he wasn't okay, that he'd just killed two people, that he felt like he was going to die.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡId70n7lQvW
But what came out of his mouth was only
"I'm... fine."
The man nodded. He walked past Voltase, toward the body of the young man with blue eyes. With efficient movements movements that showed years of battlefield experience he rolled the body over and began searching its pockets.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02Oe5DPuIm
"What are you doing?" asked Voltase, his voice still hoarse.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMQTRFYHMm
"Looking for anything useful," the man answered without turning. "Bullets, food, water, information. Everything is valuable here."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLT5nT1RORP
Voltase watched him for a moment, trying to process that logic. Then, slowly, he stood up. His legs still felt weak, but he forced himself to stay upright.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKbfjXnwnx
"Should I...?"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPbJwr62Tb
"If you want. But if I were you, I'd check the body closest to you. It's yours, you killed him."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQvBRwbUYi
Voltase stared at the corpse beside him the man with short black hair and dark eyes, still lying there with the bayonet in his throat.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaRwBdZedI
Mine.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ttLoTidNH
The word felt strange in his mind. As if the corpse were property, not a person.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFl5ddRc6g
But he understood what the man meant. Here, on this battlefield, death was the most valuable currency. And the dead no longer needed anything they carried.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnjGbWjB1h
With stiff movements, Voltase knelt beside the corpse. His hands still tremblingbbegan searching the uniform's pockets.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZZwyY97kU
He found a pack of cigarettes. A box of matches. And a kit bar emergency rations wrapped in brown plastic.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6OQjQ74Fuv
The kit bar caught his attention.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTOnad170p
He hadn't eaten.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCBQIytSyG
When was the last time he ate?
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrrjhY1uve
In the real world, he'd had lunch in the cafeteria with Marie. But here, in this dream... he couldn't remember the last time food touched his lips. the last time he didn't feel hungry.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmw8NAUxK33
His stomach growled loudly, and Voltase realized just how hungry he was.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbkf8naPYQ
But I can't eat here. Among the corpses. With the smell of blood and death all around.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVQ1QsjzTu
I'll throw up.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdlVubeWgie
But his stomach kept complaining, and the hunger grew more unbearable.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNm3rWVEWR
He stared at the kit bar in his hand brown plastic with faded lettering. This food might be months or even years old. But here, in this hell, food was still food.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKYi0EOfHFb
You have to eat.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87Oh6Dah2J
Your body needs energy.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZneqQhOLok
If you don't, you won't survive.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXCnQ1N3VX
With still trembling hands, Voltase began to tear open the plastic wrapping.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeyu1g4zQxI
The rustle of plastic caught the blond man's attention.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1MHu6Ffbt
He turned, his eyes immediately landing on the kit bar in Voltase's hand. For a moment, there was a flash in his eyes a flash that looked like hunger he couldn't hide.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCVtVjAsfb
And then, his stomach growled.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7wVhGGAQf
Loudly.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEU76y1Qkjs
Embarrassingly.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJj5IgTf955
The man patted his stomach with an awkward expression, and Voltase almost smiled. Almost.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd85VO8Qeg9
"Are you hungry?" asked Voltase, even though he already knew the answer.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMmc7Px8Ge
The man nodded, no longer able to hide his hunger.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqEQNBCy6n
"It's been days," he said, his voice soft. "Since... since I got trapped here."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIWdMQ236vi
Voltase stared at the kit bar in his hand. Only one package. Not enough for two people. But—
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoI5KxKht7Y
He broke it in half.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiMOQcp5RY
Half for him. Half for the man.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhVUBg835l
He held out the piece of kit bar.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqG9gRAfxE
"Here."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50BJXmRQ2h
The man stared at him with wide eyes. Doubt flickered in his gaze mixed with curiosity.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4q1nSsiwMC
"For me?"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGUHJ8ItMF
"We're both hungry. We both need energy."
"Fair enough"
The man hesitated for a moment. Then, slowly, he took the piece of kit bar from Voltase's hand.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJE407rxHQ
"Thank you," he said, his voice almost a whisper.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfHqi6KEBN
He ate the kit bar slowly, carefully, making sure no crumbs fell to the ground. Each bite seemed like treasure, and the expression on his face almost like happiness made Voltase feel slightly better.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPd671E8sH7
Voltase stared at the piece of kit bar in his own hand.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYRFVvsQCL
Now my turn.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ591RqSGWMd
He brought the kit bar to his mouth, but before he could bite, the fishy stench of the battlefield invaded his nostrils.
The smell of blood, corpse, and death.
Nausea returned.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ008QojfncH
He lowered the kit bar, trying to steady his breathing. His stomach growled, but his mind refused to eat in a place like this.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78fw9XR0qu
You have to eat.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyEIupF2mk
Your body needs energy.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoyk2UDLMfI
If you don't, you won't survive.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSP9g016HaY
You'll die here.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0ND01eJib
And if you die here, maybe you'll die forever.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLtoM7rPHm
With renewed resolve, Voltase shoved the entire piece of kit bar into his mouth.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxjd7LzVMFP
It tasted terrible.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODvbribpVn
Stale hard bread, coated with cheap chocolate that tasted like wax. But beneath that taste, there was something worse the scent of the battlefield seeping into every bite, making him almost vomit.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ74ntH9vEiK
He chewed painfully, fighting the nausea rising from his stomach. His hands still trembling covered his mouth, trying to hold back whatever wanted to come out.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFGRtltI49
Don't throw up.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuwzz6AJ62
Don't throw up.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdKDdNxuhC2
You need this food.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8SQsoiBfk
You need the energy.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbjxBvEdHo
He swallowed with difficulty, feeling the kit bar drop into his empty stomach like a stone.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdMFSrZHGl
And then, he almost cried.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgclo9RGjvq
Because of the death he'd witnessed, death he'd caused, the hell he couldn't escape. Of the dream he couldn't wake from.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQSIQjsEhx
He wanted to go home. Wanted to return to his small, cold dormitory room. Wanted to hear Marie's cheerful voice. Wanted to feel safe.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NQehb0664
But he couldn't.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKE6Ulj9ocL
He was trapped here. Among the corpses. Among blood and death. Between two worlds that were never supposed to meet.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAaFtQUvmbR
And he didn't know if he would ever escape.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIMKff8wH4
A bottle of water was held out in front of him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCVb2HklxWB
Voltase looked up and saw the blond man standing before him with a water bottle in his hand. His face pale and exhausted held an expression almost like concern.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46omnnETN4
"Drink," he said. "You look like you're about to pass out."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoxRdJEXfEH
Voltase accepted the bottle with trembling hands. He unscrewed the cap and drank greedily so greedily that some water spilled down his chin.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLaPDuAlmf
The water was cold and refreshing, and for a moment, he felt a little better.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBAkPXGSdV
"Pretty bad, isn't it?" said the man, sitting down beside him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1I3YS7aP6
Voltase stared at him. The man with his tangled blond hair, pale face, and dark onyx eyes looked younger than he remembered. Perhaps still in his early twenties. even younger.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoTuZSrYFN
"What?" asked Voltase, confused.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRoYzqWgjT
"The food. Tastes like garbage, right?"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS5HpaHnAf8
The man smiled a faint smile barely visible, but enough to soften the lines on his face slightly.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBXrQ8PhFf
"I'm used to it. But every time, it still tastes the same."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpoHl0LNtp
Voltase didn't know what to say. So he just nodded.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQGL2JQgWC
The man sighed. He stared at the dark night sky a sky without stars, without a moon, without anything except endless darkness.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRLfpeo1Kj
"I don't know who you are," he said finally. "But I'm grateful. Because you saved me."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡut7XKQby9X
He turned to Voltase, and for the first time, his eyes those dark onyx eyes seemed a little warmer.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEk6v4OpwW
"We haven't introduced ourselves."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeot9vB4CCX
He extended his hand.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJpoPiWj5b
"Hello, my name is Kwan Won Shik. Call me Won."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgGPRGYEBPM
Voltase stared at the outstretched hand. That hand with long fingers and calloused knuckles looked strong, but also weary. Like someone who had held on for too long.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyBE00RQ09
He took the hand, feeling a firm but not painful grip.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTKKBWPNOh
"Natt," he said, without thinking. "Call me Natt."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF50DQcRH8Q
Won raised an eyebrow.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAwDhjjPoy
"Natt?"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡopmwyFWxun
"Yeah. Natt."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTfmApaZbW
"Strange. But okay."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8FQdx5PMG
Won released his grip, and for a while, they just sat in silence among the corpses. The night wind rustled around them, carrying the scent of death they no longer noticed.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pWDcIfQis
"What happened to you?" Won finally asked. "How did you end up here?"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XQDvNqLZm
Voltase fell silent. He didn't know how to answer that question.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLvzBlmXIn
"I... don't know," he said finally. "I just... suddenly found myself here. Don't remember how or why."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvphNUWZjNX
Won nodded, as if understanding.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0hkJu7QXk
"Me too," he said. "I don't remember much. Just... battle. Blood. Death. And then, I was lying among these corpses."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGztVoNJQR
He stared at his own hands also blood soaked.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNNjfZNabN
"I don't even remember how I got here."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipzhjQ2FEu
They sat in silence again, each lost in their own thoughts.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNyb2z8BoIY
And then, Won stood up.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRNwILPXCY
"We have to go," he said. "It's not safe here. They might send more people to check."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9uE4I4AAqq
He extended his hand to Voltase.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAmF6Eml69k
"Come on."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrlzzLUZQr
Voltase took the hand, and Won pulled him to his feet.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTxbbODLAG
"Where are we going?" asked Voltase.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQtjPaKCwz
"I don't know. Away from here. Wherever is safer."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqy1BMbkqns
Won began walking, and Voltase followed. They walked past piles of corpses, past puddles of blood starting to dry, past the remnants of a battle they had never witnessed.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1yACEqW5fR
In the distance, fog began to descend thick fog that hid whatever lay ahead.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75QnojsSb2
"Have you been here before?" asked Won, without turning.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa02Rzrkbo5
"Yeah. No. I don't know."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPeGAy5sCk
Voltase shook his head, frustrated by the blurriness of his mind.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsRuqehwYm
"I feel like I've seen this place before. But I can't remember when or how."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqQxKPofhO
Won stopped. He turned around, staring at Voltase with sharp eyes.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6S6ZKibVqZ
"Me too," he said. "I feel like I've seen you before."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDRrifwUtm
Voltase stared back, and for a moment, something stirred in his chest something akin to recognition.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYXjiNTE5d
"Maybe we met in another life," he said, half-joking.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWHiJOxwXg
But Won didn't laugh. He just stared at Voltase seriously.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtR0TWZqQ2V
"Maybe," he said. "Maybe we met in another life."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNINteH5mID
They walked for hours or perhaps just minutes. Voltase couldn't measure time here. Time felt different on this battlefield.
Slower. Heavier. As if every second was a burden he had to carry.
Won talked a lot during the journey. He told Voltase about his family about his mother who died when he was young, his father who became a soldier, and his younger sister still waiting for him at home.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWYp34C3Jn
"I promised I'd come back," he said, his voice filled with longing. "I promised I'd finish this war and go home. But..."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8nv2Yau0x
He laughed softly a bitter laugh.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjxyywl9viu
"But it seems that promise will never come true."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbgNkwYp6m
Voltase listened without saying much. He didn't know what to say. No words could comfort someone trapped in a hell like this.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXaNgbj7HE
But he kept listening. Because it was the only thing he could do.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaeX3NoiwKh
Finally, exhaustion began to overtake him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTaTee3g6y
His eyes grew heavy. steps started to falter. The world around him began to spin.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyuOmG5JP4
"Hey, Natt."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhU4pDAZtN6
Won's voice from a distance.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vVridthU2
"Are you okay?"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLcdcOioUd5
Voltase wanted to answer, but the words wouldn't come.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9j9JAIoNGX
He fell.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBLEIe0xrgt
His knees hit the ground hard, and for a moment, he couldn't move. His body felt like lead heavy, stiff, refusing to cooperate.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9x4OsvHPr
"Natt!"
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPlwtyB77F1
Won knelt beside him, his hands grabbing Voltase's shoulders.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgC1Wl6Z3gL
"Hey, hold on. Don't pass out."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPrqBsVTwc
Voltase tried to open his eyes, but his vision was blurry. Won's face pale with onyx eyes swam before him like a mirage.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBQh6DDm1V
"I'm... tired," he whispered. "I'm just... tired."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlEySCMy2T5
Won gripped his shoulders tighter.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp37NJ3NpQw
"You can't pass out here, Natt. You have to hold on."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3ATo6It8g
"I'm... trying..."
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3W7X3uT2cs
And then, the world went dark.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb5B5YJV6Dr
03:15 AM.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqA6fkfKOUY
Voltase woke with a jolt.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6Y47Jffv5
His eyes snapped open, his chest rising and falling rapidly, and for a moment, he didn't know where he was.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGMkIYZDkr
A white ceiling with hairline cracks.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡim6JuFfN6s
Curtains drawn tightly.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fbMZlswwD
The dim glow of streetlights outside the window.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCIq6o7L8q
Dormitory room.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9uvM13g3AW
The real world.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSD3Dc8IlKT
He was back.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYLz4g7p61
He sat up in bed, his hand reaching for his chest feeling his heart pounding fiercely beneath his unblemished skin. No wounds. No blood. No pain.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVQTmstLxq
But there was something else.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIe0p1gKjZ1
A strange feeling in his chest.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHAsb5nJG0
Not pain. Not fear. But something deeper something he couldn't name.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tqOBjng1C
He survived.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuNuzf2EKd
For the first time, he survived that dream.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFxOGVSNJM
He didn't die.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcIXK93pcc
He closed his eyes, trying to remember the details of the dream. Faces. Voices. Feelings.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLv5sL4LjJ
But everything was beginning to fade.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhwcED37Mv
Like fog slowly dissipating under the morning sun.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkA8czMmaY5
He remembered the corpses. The blood, pungent, fishy stench.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡziTwhanrZJ
The fight how he killed two people with his own hands.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXOMOgyIEF
Terrible taste of the kit bar in his mouth.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxN9jkLhsI
He remembered...
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiI7wHdxhO8
remembered...
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10Xsev94Zu
What was his name?
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa43Y3v89XH
Voltase frowned, trying to remember.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzEpduBiJL
The blond man.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XpJcNkO1u
The man he saved.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHFKrOJKxO
The man who talked to him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WPqYDd2f3
The man who...
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvbQ2K0HOZ
But his memories were blurry. The harder he tried to remember, the faster they faded.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7MaJQAzNB
He remembered there was someone, talking to someone, walking with someone.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjmdrdLQ0Q
But his face... his face was gone.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7JCB1149Xa
Like a photograph fading in the sun.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5urhWOEXMn
He only remembered his smile. Only the lower part of his face. Thin lips curving slightly upward. A firm jaw.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwGDnhjoTE
But the upper part...
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFDjVS1PzX
Eyes. Hair. Eyebrows.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWu4zt2jMl2
All gone.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4PreWwnIa
Swallowed by fog he couldn't penetrate.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssRESSWs5M
Voltase sighed in frustration. He clenched his fists his small, delicate fists, not the large hands with a scar on the left arm.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcsaaHietUx
Why can't I remember him?
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCwjQdog7v
Why do I remember everything except his face?
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjfwoZcB9n
But even as he asked, he knew the answer.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡduuoMr8Lpe
Because it was just a dream.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfe59xCBUsz
Just a dream that fades like all other dreams.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJ0axxMqHh
Nothing in it is real.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrJsRBQLml
Nothing matters.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBMYvone5X
But there was a part of him that knew that wasn't true. He was too tired to think about it.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeuPeafmoi
He lay back in bed, staring at the cracked ceiling.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡciUmdg8bMw
His phone on the nightstand he checked the time on the cracked screen.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VOLxkAA0U
03:15 AM.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2TFirmqgn
Still night.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxHFmiMkwI
He could still sleep.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL6Pjhx8zWy
He closed his eyes, trying to rest his weary mind.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedoqIOv1xm
But even with his eyes closed, images from the dream kept appearing behind his eyelids.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSiYdjECSkz
Warm blood splattering across his face.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWhQtXMV5Je
Blue eyes frozen in shock.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSEVM9SqRfF
Corpses scattered around him.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFbaMp3onV
And the feeling the feeling he couldn't forget as his bayonet pierced the man's throat.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQLqNcDT1k
He killed someone.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCinThuVaa
Two people.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5BQW9PFGp
Two lives.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawExRtrqBH
Two human beings.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvB8c5uCPii
And he didn't feel guilty.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAeSNGQb4Xh
That was the most terrifying part.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFLIiS6TLl
But the fact that he felt nothing. The fact that he could kill without regret.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lUSJtgTz4
Who am I?
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeX4IBViXHE
The question surfaced in his mind, but he had no answer.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4zMLIwcDE
Who am I in that dream?
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTVwTKtu9t
Who am I who can kill without guilt?
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnSc9xFvAL
Who am I who feels cold and empty after taking another's life?
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1u2VIG1MU5
No answers.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBboUdmGCg
Only darkness.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdi4oO1L6on
He finally fell asleep again.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0J76u7CgK
No dreams this time. Only empty, peaceful darkness.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbgll1k10F
But even in his sleep, there was a faint feeling that this wasn't over.
ns216.73.216.217da2 
→ Request update
and then Add to home screen.